Chapter 1421: Chapter 60: A Big, Sure-Profit Deal (Double-Length) (2)
Of course, one must buy wine. According to the old man’s way of saying, when traveling the Jianghu, you absolutely cannot do without wine. As you traverse the road, you must also drink along the way.
With human spirit, sword qi, wine essence, and chivalry, that is Jianghu.
Wang Anfeng originally planned to enter the city, first finding an inn to rest, but unexpectedly, when passing by a roadside tavern, the fragrant and clear wine aroma assailed the senses, arousing Li Wu’s decades-old craving for wine. For unknown reasons, the old man suddenly began to act shalessly, imdiately claiming his horse was lacking strength and halted its steps, refusing to move.
Jingji Path is a significant area in Great Qin, attracting nurous scholars and rchants in pursuit, and entry into the state city is quite slow. Many are willing to first drink so wine to relieve weariness. In no ti, the tavern was almost entirely full, as Li Wu sipped on his drink, listening in on the conversations of the other patrons, occasionally smirking dismissively. Just as he finished a pot of wine, suddenly, the sound of hooves ca from Dragon Cliff State City.
In the distance, the gates of Dragon Cliff State City swung wide open.
Imdiately, a rider charged forth, clad in mysterious armor and a scarlet cape, holding a spear in one hand while tightly gripping the reins with the other.
Behind him followed hundreds of elite cavalry, all in superior armor, wielding fine blades.
Flags flared violently in the wind behind them.
The entire group galloped down the main road, the thunderous sound of hooves causing conversations in the tavern to abruptly pause, as everyone turned their heads with cups still in hand, staring at the dust flying outside, while most steeds tethered beside the tavern grew restless, shaking their heads and tails.
Only the three horses from the First Estate continued calmly to munch on fresh grass.
It was only after the commander and his elite cavalry had gone far that everyone slowly regained their composure. One individual moved his cup of wine to his lips, realizing that for so reason earlier, his hands had trembled uncontrollably, spilling half the cup. With a bitter smile, he drank the remaining wine and murmured:
“What’s going on with General Liu this ti? Suddenly deciding to lead Dragon Cliff’s Iron Cavalry out, trying to flaunt their prowess again? We haven’t heard of any bandits or robbers around here, and even if there were, where would there be a need for hundreds of cavalry, even unfurling the flags?”
“Hasn’t that thing been unused for decades?”
The drinking companion across from him rely continued to sip his wine, not responding.
Now, this Liu General from Dragon Cliff is a descendant of a noble clan on Jingji Path, whose ancestors once followed the Forr Emperor on expeditions to the Northern Frontier, at which ti alone beheaded seventeen Xiongnu elite eagle cavalry, truly a military accomplishnt.
During the chaotic wars of the Seven Kingdoms, he persuaded his entire family to invest all their resources into purchasing armor and weaponry, joining the troops. Old Man Liu’s sharp eye took two major gambles fifty years ago, emptying his family’s assets entirely, yet traded it for the status of a noble military family with lances planted before the gate.
By Liu Ding’s generation, he followed the routine of enrolling into the Academy of the Military Family, accumulating military achievents on the frontier, then being transferred to Dragon Cliff, becoming the defending general of the state city, commanding five hundred iron cavalry, one thousand five hundred infantry, and three hundred crossbown. In this peaceful era, in the heart of the Central Plains, he is a young, authoritative general holding military power.
Even the provincial official of Dragon Cliff has to regard him highly, and he consistently holds his deanor, scarcely committing any misdeeds.
His grand display today is indeed the first occasion.
Li Wu took a sip of wine, his expression less cheerful, gazing at the dust-covered road, cursing internally, saying:
“In just a few decades, it’s beco this kind of flower pillow, claiming to be elite iron cavalry, bullshit. The qi chanism isn’t right; not even thirty percent can truly control their steeds, let alone fighting for their lives. Eight or nine tis out of ten, they can’t even properly form the Military Family Army Formation, just capable of intimidating stray soldiers and valiant drifters in Jianghu, common folk.”
“If they were truly on the battlefield, three units of twenty eagle cavalry each, totaling rely sixty riders, could penetrate this pampered bunch of troops. When their montum falls again and again, dozens of riders chasing hundreds is a regular occurrence, and even hundreds can scatter so-called thousand-strong formations.”
“They sha their ancestors.”
Wang Anfeng said: “Uncle Li, do you recognize the ancestor of this Liu General?”
The old man took a sip of wine, his face finally softened, reminiscing sowhat, said:
“Of course, I do, albeit much earlier. Back then, at twenty or so, I t him during the battles against the Xiongnu, and I still rember him, a fool who didn’t care for his life while killing. Not only the Xiongnu feared him, his own people feared him too, otherwise, he wouldn’t have snagged seventeen Xiongnu eagle cavalry heads.”
“Xiongnu eagle cavalry can be compared on equal terms with our Great Qin formation breakers, seventeen heads. If that old bastard wasn’t preoccupied with thoughts of his woman back ho, he’d already be an authoritative adjutant at the Border Pass, eventually retiring ho in glory.”
“Despite during the war of the Seven Kingdoms, he did truly gamble his life away for Great Qin.”
“When he returned ho with his luggage, he said though he was no longer in the army, should the nation face war, he would abandon wife and children, and co back. We teased him for evidently returning ho for his wife, yet he said whatever, that boy stated the nation must be secure to give that wife of his an explanation.”
“He also said first there must be a nation; without the nation, how could there be any tranquillity or stability?”
“He hadn’t studied much, and my father knows more words than he does, but that phrase of his is damn straight.”
The old man took a sip of wine, his smile fading, said:
“That Liu Laoqi, who didn’t care for his own life while killing enemies, also passed away a few years ago.”
After pausing, he coldly laughed again, and said:
“If he saw the nation he defended now entrusted to these juniors who only know how to flaunt before common folk, he would likely have drawn his blade and chopped these unworthy descendants.”
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